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Fresh flavorful herbs, crunchy vegetables, and ample vegetarian protein dressed in a tangy olive oil and vinegar dressing, French green lentil and quinoa salad is one awesome got-it-all salad. One that everyone would be happy find on a potluck buffet or served atop crisp green lettuce on a hot summer day!

The beautiful thing about this salad is you can adapt it to whatever fresh herbs and vegetables are in season. This particular salad features radishes and celery for vegetables, and parsley and tarragon for herbs.

Other vegetable possibilities would be carrots, or cucumbers, or jicama. Herbs could be cilantro or basil and mint, and of course ample parsley.

For mild onion flavor, and because it’s chive season right now, this French green lentil and quinoa salad also features fragrant green chive stems and their edible lavender flowers. If you don’t have chives, add some finely minced red onion.

About fresh tarragon:

If you aren’t familiar with fresh tarragon in salads or with vegetables, you’ll wonder what you’re tasting. Have to say, a year ago, I thought I didn’t care for tarragon’s aromatic aniselike notes. But since my neighbor’s garden was overflowing with the prolific perennial and she was giving it away, I decided to give it a try. Fresh minced tarragon added a subtle magical mystery flavor to my lentil and quinoa salad. I’m a tarragon fan now, that’s for sure.

*** If you make this recipe and love it, please consider leaving a blog post comment. Your comments help other readers learn more about the recipe. If you’d also give the recipe a ✮✮✮✮✮ rating, I’d be even more delighted!

French green lentil and quinoa salad is one of those got-it-all salads we’d all be happy find on a potluck buffet. Use whatever vegetables and herbs you want, something crunchy, and a flavorful herb. If you con't have tri-color rainbow quinoa, use whatever quinoa you find. Makes 8 cups salad.

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the lentils and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Lower the heat and simmer until tender but firm, about 20 minutes. Drain, place in a large bowl, stir in about a teaspoon of olive oil and set aside.

Rinse the quinoa and drain in a fine-mesh sieve. (see note)

In another saucepan, bring 1 3/4 cups of water to a boil. Add rinsed quinoa and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and cook about 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Add the cooked quinoa to the bowl of cooked lentils.

Mix the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the lentils and quinoa. Stir in the parsley and tarragon. Add the celery, radishes, and chives, and toss again. Taste, add more salt if you think it’s needed. Chill in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld.

Just before serving stir in the walnuts and chive blossoms, if using.

Recipe Notes

Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin that repels insects and birds and can create a bitter taste. Rinsing with warm water removes the saponin.

You can use any color quinoa you have, red, regular, or tri-color like in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

French Green Lentil and Quinoa Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 291Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Sodium 310mg13%

Potassium 433mg12%

Total Carbohydrates 29g10%

Dietary Fiber 9g36%

Sugars 1g

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A1.3%

Vitamin C4.4%

Calcium3.8%

Iron16.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

** This is an update of the lentil and quinoa salad from summer 2013. Back then I created recipes every week for my CSA and posted them on a wordpress.com blog called muffintalk. All those CSA recipes migrated over to here and I’m gradually updating the winners with photos. The original salad included garlic scapes, tarragon, summer savory, and chives from our CSA box.

Hello and welcome!
I’m Letty.
I create meatless and plant-based recipes with seasonal whole foods, just for you! My wish is to inspire you, to help you cook food that's both healthy and delicious!
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